Day 1 of the 2015 French Open was interesting to say the least.
Most matches went along as anticipated as the tournament's top stars had little trouble advancing to the second round paving the way for a couple of controversial incidents surrounding Rodger Federer and Stan Wawrinka to steal the headlines.
Federer earned a decisive 6 3 6 3 6 4 victory over Alejandro Falla improving to 10 3 on clay this year. That result was expected but what happened next certainly wasn't. A young fan rushed the court following the match in an effort to get a picture with the Swiss star and Federer wasn't happy about the lack of security at Roland Garros.
Wawrinka was impressive Sunday defeating Marsel Ilhan 6 3 6 2 6 3 however he left with a sour taste in his mouth as well after an article speculating about his potential lack of concentration due to his personal life surfaced. Getting through a Grand Slam is already a mentally difficult task and that surely won't make things any easier for Wawrinka.
Now with those controversies in the rear view we can focus on Day 2 action from Roland Garros as more of tennis' top stars will be taking the courts throughout the day. With the early matches already underway here's a look at how to catch the remainder of the day's contests.
Monday's French Open Schedule
2015 French Open Schedule for Monday May 25 Time (ET) Event TV 5 a.m. 10 a.m. French Open first round ESPN2 10 a.m. 3 30 p.m. French Open first round Tennis Channel 1 p.m. 3 30 p.m. French Open first round NBCRolandGarros.com
Live Stream Tennis Channel NBC Sports Live Extra
Video Replay WatchESPN
Matchups to Watch
No. 3 Andy Murray vs. Facundo Arguello
Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated PressAndy Murray is having a phenomenal year on clay earning victories over the likes of Milos Raonic Kei Nishikori and Rafael Nadal to notch a victory in Madrid as well as winning in Munich. Now 10 0 on the surface in 2015 he'll aim to continue that trend in Paris.
Interestingly enough the French Open is the only Grand Slam event in which Murray has never reached the final. However he's playing with enough confidence to buck that trend this time around. Here's what he had to say during an interview with Piers Newbery of BBC Sport
It's probably the best I have played on clay for sure. I never really felt particularly comfortable on the surface. Sometimes by the time I got to the French Open I started to feel good but obviously winning tournaments and beating good players helps with the confidence.
I just feel like I have an idea of what I'm doing on the court. Sometimes in the past I have not really known what was happening on the court and felt like I was struggling with my movement. This year it doesn't feel like that. I feel like I'm moving well. I feel a lot freer on the court my body feels good. That's positive.
Murray has never faced Facundo Arguello before and that can sometimes prove to be a tricky task for even the most seasoned of veterans. Knowing the tendencies of an opponent no matter his world ranking is a crucial element of success and the Brit will need to do his homework here.
Keeping his momentum going will be key for Murray on Day 2 of the French Open as potential matchups against John Isner David Ferrer and Novak Djokovic stand in his way of finally reaching the final. Getting off to a hot start against Arguello is a must.
No. 2 Maria Sharapova vs. Kaia Kanepi
Alessandra Tarantino/Associated PressMaria Sharapova has found her form once again. Earlier in the season the Russian was struggling and failed to advance past the round of 16 in three consecutive tournaments. She began to right the ship in Madrid defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals but falling to Svetlana Kuznetsova one round later. Then in Rome things really clicked.
Sharapova dominated the clay surface in Italy winning in consecutive sets four times before taking down Carla Suarez Navarro 4 6 7 5 6 1 to claim her second title of the year. That victory gave the No. 2 seed plenty of momentum heading into Roland Garros where she aims to successfully defend her title.
Following her win in Rome Sharapova had this to say about her impending trip to Paris during a press conference via Martyn Herman of Reuters.com I'm in an especially good spot physically. I'm prepared to go the distance now and to beat someone like Carla who loves long matches to come through that gave me a lot of confidence.
Maintaining that confidence during her early rounds will be necessary for Sharapova as she stands to potentially face Suarez Navarro again in the quarterfinals. From there her path will likely continue to increase in difficulty as Simona Halep and Serena Williams could be on the slate as well.
First things first for Sharapova She must not overlook her first round opponent. Kaia Kanepi has never defeated the world No. 2 holding an 0 4 record against Sharapova however Kanepi did take a set from the Russian in Australia in 2014 and these two haven't met on a clay surface since 2013.
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